Norovirus closes another West Yorkshire high school after hundreds affected

St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy on Dewsbury

St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy in Dewsbury will remain closed for three days, re-opening on Monday 16 December.

It is thought that more than 200 pupils have fallen ill.

It is the latest school to be affected with at least five others across Leeds closed for a deep clean.

The outbreak of the winter vomiting bug is also affecting staff at the Oxford Road school in Dewsbury, which is part of the Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust.

The school which has 1,200 pupils, sent a letter home with pupils on Tuesday, stating the needed to undertake a deep clean of the premises.

A letter sent home by headteacher Richard Williams states: "Due to an extremely high number of cases of the winter vomiting bug amongst students and staff the school will be closed on Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2019, to allow a deep clean to be undertaken.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience this decision will cause. We will re-open as normal on Monday 16th December 2019."

One parent said there had been reports of pupils being sick at school and countless pupils were being sent home during the past few days.

There have been at least five other schools in Leeds closed for cleaning

What should I do if my child has symptoms of the Norovirus?

If your child is displaying symptoms of the Norovirus, such as diarrhoea or vomiting, you are advised to keep them at home for 48 hours following their last episode of illness.

Do:

stay at home and get plenty of rest

drink lots of fluids, such as water or squash – take small sips if you feel sick

carry on breast or bottle feeding your baby – if they're being sick, try giving small feeds more often than usual

give babies on formula or solid foods small sips of water between feeds

eat when you feel able to – you don't need to eat or avoid any specific foods

take paracetamol if you're in discomfort – check the leaflet before giving it to your child

Don't:

do not have fruit juice or fizzy drinks – they can make diarrhoea worse

do not make baby formula weaker – use it at its usual strength

do not give children under 12 medicine to stop diarrhoea

do not give aspirin to children under 16

stay off school or work until the symptoms have stopped for two days. Also avoid visiting anyone in hospital during this time.